Closure for dust guard chambers in railway journal boxes



June 25, 1957 E. P. KELLY ETAL 2,797,113

CLOSURE FOR DUST GUARD CHAMBERS IN RAILWAY JOURNAL BOXES Filed Nov. 18, 1954 United States atent CLOSURE FOR DUST GUARD CHAMBERS IN RAILWAY JOURNAL BOXES Edmund P. Kelly and Armand Barton, Chicago, Iii. Application November 18, 1954, Serial No. 469,688

4 Claims. (Cl. 286-6) The invention relates to covers for dust guard chambers in railway journal boxes.

One object of the invention is to provide a cover of this type which is simple in construction and can be effectively secured on the journal box against becoming loose from vibration produced by train operations.

Other objects will appear from the detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the cover;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of Fig.2, the cover being shown in elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modification.

The invention is exemplified in a conventional railway car journal box for a car wheel axle 11. A hearing 12 in said box engages the journal 13 of said axle. A chamber 14 is provided at the inner end of the journal box with side walls and end walls which define an opening at the upper end of said chamber. A dust guard 15 tits around the axle and slidably fits the side walls of the chamber 14 for excluding water and dirt from the space in the journal box around the axle.

The invention provides a closure for the open upper end of chamber 14 above the guard 15, which comprises: a plate 17 which overlies the top of chamber 14 and has its margin overlapping the top face walls of the journal box surrounding the open end of said chamber, and means carried by said'plate for locking the cover on the box. This locking means includes elements which are bendable in the upper portion of chamber .14 for wedging engagement with the side Walls of said chamber, and means for positively spreading sai-d elements against said side walls for securing the cover plate 17 on the journal box. Cotter pins generally designated 20 constitute the locking elements. Each cotter pin includes a loop 21 outside of and above plate 17, and depending'legs 22 which extend through a single opening or hole 23 in plate 17, and through transversely spaced separate holes 24 in a strip generally designated 25. The strip 25 is rivetted to plate 17 at 27 and has downwardly otiset integral Walls 28 in which the holes 24 are formed. Strip 25 is provided at each of its outer ends with an integral depending tongue 29. The tongues 29 fit the ends of the chamber 14 and position the cover plate 17 over the top of said chamber.

The operation will be as follows: the cotter pins 20 are 2,797,113 Patented June 25,

the cover endwise in chamber 14. The cotter pins are then driven downwardly through plate 17 and ofiset 28 by hammer blows applied to their upper ends. These blows will cause holes 24 to spread apart or increase the divergence of the lower ends of legs 23 transversely of chamber 14 until they are in firm Wedging engagement with the side walls of the chamber 14 and securely lock the cover plate on the box. As the cotter pins are progressively driven through oiiset '28, the stresses of the portions of legs 23' between said otisets and the side walls of chamber 14 will progressively increase to insure the retention of the cover plate on the journal box. When the cover is to be removed for access to the dust guard, a pry can be inserted through the loops 21 of the. cotter pins and operated to withdraw the lower ends of legs 23 from the side walls of chamber 14.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the spreading means for the cotter pins comprises an elongated bar 30 of sheet metal and channel cross-section including integral depending flanges 31, a bottom wall 32 and outturned flanges 33. The cover plate 34 which overlies the chamber 14 has integral inturned flanges 35 which underlap and are clenched around the flanges 33 on the channel bar for rigidly securing the said plate and bar together. The cover is provided with holes 23 as before described and the bottom wall 32 is formed with spaced openings 24 for spreading the legs of the cotter pins.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A closure -for a dust guard chamber in a railway journal box having side and end walls and an open top, comprising: a cover overlying said open top, said cover having at least one aperture provided therein, a plate fixedly secured on the cover, said plate including a rigid portion spaced vertically from the cover, said rigid portion being provided with a pair of transversely spaced openings located below the aperture in the cover, and a locking member including a pair of bendable legs connected together outside of the cover and slidable jointly through the aperture in the cover and individually extending and slidable through the transversely spaced openings in the rigid portion of the plate, for progressively spreading the legs apart into gripping relation with the side walls of the chamber as they are driven through the aperture in the cover and into the chamber.

2. A closure for a dust guard chamber in a railway journal box having side and end walls and an open top, comprising: a cover overlying said open top, said cover having at least one aperture provided therein, a plate fixedly secured on the cover, said plate including a rigid portion spaced vertically from the cover, said rigid portion being provided with a pair of transversely spaced openings located below the aperture in the cover, and a cotter-pin including an eye outside of the cover and a pair of bendable legs slidable jointly through the aperture in the cover and individually extending and slidable through the transversely spaced openings in the rigid portion of the plate, for progressively spreading the legs apart into gripping relation with the side walls of the chamber as they are driven through the aperture in the cover and into the chamber.

3. A closure for a dust guard chamber in a railway journal box having side and end walls and an open top, comprising: a cover overlying said open top, said cover having at least one aperture provided therein, a strip of metal fixedly secured on and extending longitudinally of the cover, said strip of metal including a rigid portion spaced vertically from the cover, said rigid portion being provided with a pairof transversely spaced openings located below the aperture in the cover, and a locking member including a pair of bendable legs connected together outside of the cover and slidable jointly through the aperture in the cover and individuallyextending and slidable through the transversely spaced openings in the rigid portion of v the strip of metal, for progressively spreading the legs apart into gripping relation-with the side walls of the chamber as they are driven through the aperture in the cover and into the chamber.

4. A closure for aIdust guard chamber in a railway journal box having side and end walls and an open top, comprising: a cover overlying said open top, said cover having at least one aperture provided therein, a strip of plate metal fixedly secured on the. inside of the cover, said strip of plate metal including a rigid portion spaced vertically from the. cover, said rigid portion being providedwitha pair of transversely spaced openings located below the aperture in the cover, said strip of plate metal having downwardly depending tongues at its ends for po- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 806,027 Vance Nov. 28, 1905 973,295 Parker Oct. 18, 1910 1,653,403 McCue Dec. 20, 1927 1,836,652 Ditmore Dec. 15, 1931 2,070,865 Rowe Feb. 16, 1937 

